Chop and Change
by AutumnDreamer
Summary: Family. Fast cars. Flirting. Secrets. Pranks. Romance. Illegal activities. It's just another day at Cullen Auto Works, where chaos reigns supreme. AH Emmett/Rose, Edward/Bella, Jacob/Angela.
1. The Dare

**A/N: *knock, knock* Is this thing on?**

 **SUMMARY:** Family. Fast cars. Flirting. Secrets. Pranks. Romance. Illegal activities. Just another day at Cullen Auto Works, where chaos reigns supreme.

Or:

Emmett owns and operates an auto shop that hides some secrets. When a new client walks in, he's immediately attracted to her. As they grow close, will she run when he confesses a stupid mistake to her? Or was she a decoy to set him up for a huge fall?

Which summary do you like better?

Emmett/Rose, Edward/Bella, Jacob/Angela. MA (mostly for language and suggestive themes). Romance/Humor/Adventure. AH.

Many thanks to SarcasticBimbo for editing chapters 1-3.

 **FAIR WARNING:** Chapters 1, 2, and 3 were written for a fandom event a few years ago and I never posted it. When Hurricane Harvey hit, Fandoms for Harvey was started. After the other hurricanes quickly formed, the name was changed to Fandoms for Hope and Hurricane Relief was started. I wrote chapters 4 and 5 for this event. The compilation for the event is going out on December 20th, 2017. I can not release chapter 4 and 5 until FEBRUARY 28TH, 2018, but the first three chapters will be released before December 20th.

 **Disclaimer:** I'm not Meyer and don't own Twilight. Would I be doing this if I did? I'd be on a vacation... on some far away island with cabana boys fanning me. I just like taking her characters for a literary ride, human-style.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1: The Dare**

"Go ahead and do it," he kept insisting. "Stop being a chicken. Get your hands dirty."

I turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, you're calling _me_ a chicken? My hands are _always_ dirty."

He laughed in my face. "The evil eye doesn't work on _me_. I've known you all my life."

"I'm still your big brother," I said knowingly. "I can still smash your head in."

Edward sighed and glanced at the grocery store entrance. I could see a distinct smile forming on his lips in the semi-darkness. "You won't smash my head in because _you love me 'cause I'm your little brother_." He sang the last few words. "Come on, Emmett, you've been dared. You gotta do it."

"You fucktard."

We sat in the car and waited. Edward spotted her first. At least, I thought it was a girl. The build of the person was feminine, skinny, but not too much so. Kind of how I liked my girls—if I saw bones protruding out while she was naked I wanted to feed her, not have sex. I didn't mind a little meat, especially in the ass area. Too much in the chest and it was overkill. I believed that more than a handful was a waste. She had a hood pulled up over her head and as she walked into the small neighborhood grocery store, I could see what appeared to be blonde hair spilling out of it. I caught sight of a strap from a purse, but it was slung across her chest and the purse rested against her opposite hip.

"She's it," Edward said. "Easy target."

I tried not to laugh at his stupidity. He didn't know what a female would do to keep a purse they loved.

While we waited for her to exit the store, we formulated our plan. She hadn't parked in front of the store, but rather on the side of it. There would be less foot traffic in the area, not to mention it'd be much darker and this particular store had no outside security cameras. When she walked out, I would exit the car and Edward would drive to a safe location where I'd meet him on foot.

"Why the hell are we out here doing this again?" I asked.

"I'm bored because Bella had to have girl time with Alice," Edward sighed. "They were going on something about nails, and movies, and maybe shopping, but honestly, my eyes glazed over at the mention of nails. Unless a set of them are being dug into my back, the topic just doesn't interest me in the slightest."

"I'm buying you a blow up doll for the next time you're bored."

"Sweet."

I shook my head. "Only you would think that."

"I was kidding, fucktard." Edward strummed his fingers against the steering wheel. He should've grown up to be a musician like he had wanted. He had the skills and knowledge, but unfortunately, he no longer had the ability, though that was through no fault of his own. I wasn't exactly living my life the way I should've been either. Years ago, both our lives had changed in seconds and we were powerless to change it. "I like my pussy pink, soft, and wet. Not rubbery and dry."

"Of course you do."

"Hey, which one of us here has a girl?" Edward glanced away from the front of the store and pointed at his chest. "I do and you don't. Maybe you should be buying yourself one of those blow up dolls."

"Nah, never been into something like that."

Edward's gaze traveled back to the front of the store. "Maybe one of those Fleshlight toys?"

"I do not need a Fleshlight toy." My hand worked just fine. For now, though, I'd much prefer being with a woman. I had been going through a dry spell lately. "You know what your problem is and why Bella is always in need of girl time? You talk too damn much."

"That problem must run in the family 'cause look who's talking!" Edward chuckled from his seat. "You are _so_ lame, and that, my big bro, is why you don't have a girl."

"Oh, shut it."

"You need to get laid." Edward continued to strum the steering wheel. It was starting to get annoying. "I'm serious. It'd mellow you out."

Forcing my head back into the headrest, I sighed. The thing was, I knew the bastard was probably right. "She hasn't come out, right?"

"No." He knew I was tired of the direction our conversation had headed and finally decided to shut the hell up. It was about damn time. We sat in silence, waiting for her to exit. This was the last time I was doing anything this stupid again–dare or no dare. I didn't need to get caught and have a petty larceny charge on my record. I found it slightly amusing that I was so worried about a Class A misdemeanor while in actuality I could be charged with something much, much worse. "Oh, hey, wait. There she is. I'll see you in a few."

Looking up, I caught her figure moving through the darkness. And what a figure it was. I could now see her purse resting against her hip, and the hood was still pulled up over her head. It had been raining intermittently throughout the day, and it had added a chill to the autumn air. Exiting the car silently, I scanned the area for any bystanders. One man was entering the store, but otherwise, no one else was around. I closed the car door as quietly as possible, and Edward drove away at a normal speed so he wouldn't draw attention to himself. He'd better not play any games and his ass had better be at our meeting spot. The girl was carrying a single yellow plastic shopping bag and was walking along the front of the store toward her car. I trailed behind her, watching the mesmerizing sway of her ass as she walked.

Damn. I would totally tap that.

Shaking my head, I refocused on my goal. I carefully matched her strides and caught up to her as she rounded the corner of the building. Unfortunately, she sensed something amiss and started to turn and face me. Grabbing her around the waist, her body was tightly pressed against mine.

"Don't scream." I had deepened my voice to disguise it. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just want your bag."

"I don't have any more money." Her words came out nervously and rushed. "I spent everything I had on a few groceries."

"Gimme your bag," I repeated and tried my best to sound menacing.

The hood had dropped down past her forehead and would have obscured her vision, but I caught a quick glimpse of her face. I noticed that her eyes were tightly shut together in fear anyway. "Please don't take my purse. It's a bitch to replace your driver's license. I only have five dollars and it's in my back pocket. I'm broke. I swear."

"Which back pocket?"

"My left," she replied. "My left back pocket."

Her chest was heaving against mine. Shit. Maybe Edward was right about needing to get laid. I slid my right hand into her left pocket, felt the bill there, and gave her ass a gentle squeeze. "Nice." No, that wouldn't even begin to cover it. I wondered what it looked like without any barriers.

The wind picked up and I angled my head to the left, away from her face and inhaled deeply. Her scent was enticing and erotic. She smelled damned good, like vanilla. The scent had to have come from her—nothing smelled that damn good in this town. I gave her ass one more squeeze before pulling out the bill from her back pocket. Holding it up, I could barely see that it was indeed a five-dollar bill. She could have easily run at that moment, or I could have grabbed her purse, but I didn't. "You shouldn't have lied to me."

She had opened her eyes slightly, but had turned her head so she was looking off to my right. "I like to keep a five in my pocket for emergencies."

"I like your idea." She was getting to be too comfortable in my arms. I moved us slightly to the left toward the building. "I'm going to let you go. _Don't move_." I growled the words out and removed my arms from her waist. I stepped away from her and gently pushed her against the building. "Thanks for the fiver, honey."

I smacked her ass and turned without looking back even though I had wanted to. I ran like hell in the direction of the post office. Once I reached the housing development behind it, I walked regularly toward Edward's waiting car. Opening the door, I dropped down into the seat and caught my breath.

"Piss poor choice, bro." I said. "All I got was a five."

"Damn!" Edward slammed the steering wheel with an opened palm. "All that risk for nothing."

"I wouldn't necessarily say that."

"What the hell does that mean?" Edward turned and stared at me, confused by my words.

I remembered the feeling of her body against mine. The feel of my hand on her ass. Her scent still lingered in my nostrils. There was plenty of risk, but it wasn't for nothing. "Never mind, let's get the hell out of here."

* * *

 **A/N:** As always, feel free to drop me a comment to let me know what you think.


	2. The New Customer

Many thanks to SarcasticBimbo for editing chapters 1-3.

 **FAIR WARNING:** Chapters 1, 2, and 3 were written for a fandom event a few years ago and I never posted it. When Hurricane Harvey hit, Fandoms for Harvey was started. After the other hurricanes quickly formed, the name was changed to Fandoms for Hope and Hurricane Relief was started. I wrote chapters 4 and 5 for this event. The compilation for the event is going out on December 20th, 2017. I can not release chapter 4 and 5 until FEBRUARY 28TH, 2018, but the first three chapters will be released before December 20th.

 **Disclaimer:** I'm not Meyer and don't own Twilight. Would I be doing this if I did? I'd be on a vacation... on some far away island with cabana boys fanning me. I just like taking her characters for a literary ride, human-style.

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The New Customer**

I was sitting at my desk in my office, staring at the five-dollar bill in my hand. It had been two weeks. Two damn weeks and I couldn't spend it and I couldn't let that damned thing out of my sight. I didn't even know her name but I couldn't spend a five-dollar bill that I had stolen from a stranger. What the hell was wrong with me?

It wasn't as if I needed the money. I had much more than five dollars at my disposal. I owned Cullen Auto Works, one of the top auto shops in the area…and dabbled in some other activities that weren't so legal. Why had I gone through with it and taken the last five dollars some poor, hot girl kept in an emergency?

As much as I would have liked to blame my dumbass brother, I could have walked away from the situation that night. Why did I cave to peer pressure of all things? What was I, a teenager all over again?

I'd be damned if I hadn't sniffed the bill and had found that it had even smelled like vanilla. I even kept the damned thing in the exact location—in my left back pocket. Now, if I could only find her to dig it out of my pair of jeans like I had done to her.

I had never been overly fond of vanilla, but now I was afraid that I'd get excited or think of her if I even _attempted_ to have vanilla ice cream. I was in a strange place. Mentally, of course, because I already knew my physical location was screwed up big time.

"Boss! Boss!" I heard one of my mechanics, Jacob Black, yelling for me from the garage. "Customer!"

What the hell? Why was he calling me? Jake was more than capable of handling a customer if one walked in. And where the hell was everyone else? Wait! Jake's voice sounded higher, and I didn't mean in an octave sense. My office was in the back right hand corner of the building , past the reception area and employee break room. I rose from my desk chair, stuffed the fiver back into my pocket, and headed to the door. Earlier, I had drawn the blinds for some privacy so I opened them back up and peeked out onto the floor.

Not a soul was around.

Where the hell were all my employees? Family or not, the morons were going to get fired.

One of these days.

I tore my office door open so hard I thought it was going to come off the hinges. Again. "Jake?"

"Up here!" I followed the sound of his voice and spotted him staring down at me from the back seat of a customer's huge showy Hummer that just so happened to be up on a lift.

"Customer!" He pointed toward the front of the garage and to the open bay where I spotted a female standing.

"I'll be with you in just a minute, miss!" I went over to Jake's work area and let the lift down. As it reached me, I began to question him. "What the hell is going on?"

"I was on my lunch break and fell asleep." I shot him a look that showed I didn't approve and was half tempted to raise the lift back up to strand him. If the lift hadn't been up so high, there would be no problem jumping down from it, but the massive size of the Hummer made an unplanned exit a possible ankle breaker. "Boss, I have a towel and shit like you said so I don't 'dirty the pretty'."

Damn it, he was quoting me now. Jake jumped down from the Hummer and showed me the clean towel. He had even washed his hands and everything.

"Next thing I know, I hear the pretty lady over there calling 'hello' and I'm up in the air and left my wings at home."

"You have wings? Red Bull or fairy?"

"Neither, and not literally, Boss." He fidgeted in front of me. "I'm sorry, but I, uh, think that, uh…"

"Edward."

"I think the bastard put the lift up while I was knocked out." Jake muttered under his breath. "Sorry, Boss."

"No, I agree, my brother is a stupid bastard a lot of the time." My vision shifted to the customer standing in the doorway of the open bay. I needed to go to her before she left and went somewhere else. I needed to keep as much legitimate business as I possibly could. "I'll deal with him later. If you're done with your break, get back to work."

"I gotta piss, but I'll be right back."

"You go do that, kid." What was I doing calling him a kid? I was only a few years older than him. Maybe it was because he seemed so damn innocent still. He headed off to the restrooms and I turned and made my way toward the customer. Damn, she was pretty. The closer I got I realized she wasn't just pretty. Nah, she was downright gorgeous. She had long legs that I could clearly imagine wrapped around my waist. Her long, wavy blonde hair stopped in the middle of her back. Sizing her up, I guessed that she was about five foot nine or so, which was good. I was a tall son of a bitch, topping six foot five and I liked my women on the tall side, too.

"I'm sorry for the delay, miss," I tried to sound apologetic while attempting not to stare. "Can I help you?"

"The door at the front had a sign that said 'out to lunch' but the bay was open. Are you a mechanic?" she asked with doubt in her voice as I reached her and stopped. "Or do you just go around lowering the lifts when the mechanics play practical jokes on each other?"

"Owner, Operator, Mechanic, and Master Mopper Upper of Employee Messes at your service," I extended my hand. "Emmett Cullen."

There was a twinkle in those green eyes as her lips formed a smile. Her hand reached up and accepted mine. From my hands alone she should be able to tell that I was a mechanic—they were rough and there were spots where oil had seeped into the crevices and stained them. No matter how much or how hard I scrubbed they were never going to be pristine. "Rosalie Hale. Nice to meet you, Mr. Cullen."

"Just Emmett," I released her hand from mine. "What can I do for you, Ms. Hale?"

"Just Rose." She paused and I nodded. "A friend of mine suggested your shop. She told me that you're honest, reliable, and most importantly, don't rip off customers of the female persuasion."

I couldn't help but smile because her words were a clear giveaway that she must know Lisa. That girl was always pimpin' my shop to any fellow female she came across. "I don't like to boast, but that would all be true. What seems to be the problem?"

"My car has started to buck and I'm really hoping that it's not the transmission," she explained. "I know you must hate hearing sob stories, but I've been out of work and on unemployment. I can't afford to be taken in by someone who claims I need a new transmission when I don't."

She almost lost me when the word 'buck' exited her mouth but I somehow managed to make a quick recovery. "Most times it's not the transmission," I explained. "It could be something a lot less costly. Wanna pop the hood for me?" I took a look around but didn't catch anything wrong.

"I'll take it out for a test drive." I led Rose inside, past the reception area and employee break room, to my office.

"You can wait in here." I opened the door to my office; she stepped inside the doorway, and stopped short. Not expecting her actions, I bumped into her and didn't make an immediate move to back away.

"Um, what did you bring me back here for?" She seemed a little nervous. Since the only other person around was Jake, maybe she thought I was attempting to sexual assault. That wasn't my style. I wanted a willing partner.

"This is my office and it's more comfortable." She wasn't buying it. I needed to get going and look at her car to prove that I wasn't up to something. Of course, I was up to something, but not what she thought. I'd be much more comfortable talking to Rose in my office versus the customer waiting area. "Where are your keys?"

"Oh, yes," she mumbled. I took a step back while she dug into her jeans for the keys. I would have been happy to dig into her pockets. "Here you go."

She placed them in my hand and her fingers made contact with my open palm. I didn't feel any of that spark shit that romance novels talk about. I didn't feel anything in my gut. It didn't matter—there was something about Rose that made me want her.

And don't ask me how I knew what the hell happened in romance novels.

Okay, so one day when it was slow and Alice had skipped out I was sitting at her desk. I picked up a book she had been reading and damn it, the sucker was addictive and entertaining even though it was in no way realistic. I couldn't put the sucker down. There must have been crack embedded in the pages which traveled from my fingertips and through my system. I was quickly done with the novel and was tempted to find its sequel, but never did.

"Make yourself comfortable." I nodded in direction of the television set. "The TV works and I hear the couch is comfortable. I haven't sat on it a lot. I'll be back in a few minutes. If you need anything Jake is out on the floor."

Rose seemed to be a little bit more at ease. "Okay, thanks, Emmett."

On the way out toward her car, Jake gave me a look that meant he knew what was going on in my head. I flipped him the bird and told him to get back to work. In return I got the standard "Yeah, okay, Boss" from him. I wished he'd learn to use my name. Then again, even my siblings called me "Boss" most of the time. The thought of legally changing my name crossed my mind.

Ten minutes later I was back with Rose's car. Pulling it into the garage, I didn't fail to notice that Alice's car was back at the shop. She came over to me with a wide grin plastered on her face.

"Who's the blonde in your office?" She inquired with an almost sing songy quality to her voice. "She's real purty, as you'd say."

Closing the car door, I walked around to the front and lifted the hood again. "She's not purty, she's gorgeous." I whispered the words in hopes that Jake wouldn't hear. "Did you ask Jake who she was?"

"He just said that she was a customer." Alice was bouncing up and down on her toes in anticipation. "Who's the gorgeous blonde, damn it?"

"She's a customer." I started to hook up the machine to Rose's car for a diagnostic test.

"Just a customer?" Alice was rocking back on her heels, a funny look on her face.

"Uh huh." I replied. "Why don't you get to work?"

"I'm all caught up." She craned her neck in the direction of my office. "Maybe I should go have a talk with the new customer."

"Leave Rose alone."

"Ah hah!" Alice clapped her hands together in victory. Her exuberance over learning Rose's name didn't surprise me. "Well, maybe I should go and talk to Rose and find out more about her so I know why my brothers seem to be so hung up on her."

"Brothers?" I asked and swung around in time to see Edward chatting away with Rose inside my office. When the hell did he come back? I went back to work on Rose's car.

"Bella is a weird chick and all that, but she's with Edward." Alice stepped forward and placed one of her hands on mine. "If you think you like this one, don't let her get away and for the love of God, don't let our big mouthed brother fuck it up for you."

Alice was right and the bitch of a thing was that she knew it, too. The phone rang much to Alice's dismay. "Fuckin' customers," she said under her breath. "Damage control, Em, _damage control_."

She ran to the phone and I stared at the engine of Rose's car. What the hell was Edward talking to Rose about back there? I turned and hurried in the direction of my office, trying to calm myself down before I got there.

"It's about time, Boss!" Jake spoke without looking in my direction.

"Back to work!"

I heard him snicker as I neared my office and stepped inside. "Edward?"

He was sitting on the couch next to Rose. In fact, he was sitting a little too close to her. He glanced up at me with a huge smile, the sleeve of his t-shirt was rolled up and it revealed his sleeve of tattoos. Dear God, he was attempting to show off. "Yeah?"

"Don't you have a job?"

"I don't know, do I?"

Rose's confused gaze traveled back and forth between us. "Get. To. Work."

He glanced at Rose and flexed his bicep before rolling his sleeve back down. Strangely enough, it seemed as if she was unimpressed with Edward's little display. "Aw, man, my last stunt didn't do me in?" I raised my hands in mid-air and pretended to strangle his neck. "I'm assuming since we're in mixed company you're not chokin' your chicken, but you're wringing my neck."

Rose, thankfully amused by our little antics, started to laugh. "Emmett, I'm sorry, but he's got a point there with the chokin' the chicken bit."

"Gee, thanks, Rose," I said. "No, I was most definitely wringing his neck. Stop doing stupid stuff like what you did to Jake earlier."

Edward shrugged his shoulders. "What? You were here and he's fine!"

"Just stop, okay? You're going to give me a heart attack before I'm thirty."

Edward rolled his eyes at me and he turned to Rose. "It was nice to meet you, Rose. Maybe we can talk more later on when my brother the huge bully who needs to mellow out—"

Afraid he was going to say something along the lines of 'because he needs to get laid,' I cut him off. "Edward!"

"Yeah, yeah." Edward bowed before Rose and took her hand in his, kissing the back of it. "'Twas awfully nice to meet you, miss."

When he was closer, I spoke low enough so only he'd be able to hear me. "Stop hitting on the customers."

"What?" His voice was raised loud enough so Rose could hear him. "She's nice. Bella wants a threesome and I thought I'd try to find a chick since she's always asking you but you turn her down!"

He walked out and I closed the door behind him even though I wanted to chase after him and pummel him into the pavement. Or throw him out the back door. Or shove him through a bunch of tires. Or just knock him out.

"Please, excuse my brother." I said. "He's a bit….um…"

"Is he a fucktard?"

Oh, I loved her already. "You'd be totally correct." I exhaled and shook my head. "I'm sorry about him. No matter what I do, he still does stupid stuff."

"Is Edward the one who abandoned Jake up on the lift?"

"That's right."

"You can look at Edward another way," she said. "He must keep things exciting around here."

"You are right about that." I was still standing by the door, afraid to move closer to her, afraid that she'd get the wrong idea about me because of the way my brother spoke, but I didn't want a threesome with Rose, I just wanted her.

Rose shifted on the couch and spoke. "Emmett, can I ask you something?"

Thinking it was something about her car, I agreed. "Sure."

"I'm going to assume that Bella is Edward's girlfriend." I nodded in confirmation. "Why does Bella want a threesome with you and Edward?"

This conversation would most certainly go down in the books as the weirdest ever with a customer. "I don't honestly know. They're high school sweethearts. She's been wanting the three of us together in that way for I don't know how long now. She's a little weird, you know?" I made a gesture with one of my fingers to the side of my head. You know, the one you make when someone is off their rocker. Or touched in the head.

Rose leaned forward. "You're not gay though, right?"

"No." I said the word a little too firmly. "I'm just not interested in having sex with my brother's girlfriend or seeing him naked for that matter."

I could've sworn that she smiled at me. "Okay. What's up with my car?"

"It did buck when I took it out," I explained. "I'm going to hook it up to the machine and see what it says. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?"

"Okay."

I turned to leave, fumbling with the doorknob. "If Edward comes in and bothers you, just holler…or punch him, whichever you prefer."

"Thanks for the choices." She took one hand, formed it into a fist, and pretended to punch her other palm.

"Feel free to go for the groin," I said. "In this case, I'd say he would deserve it."

Thankfully, Edward left Rose alone, but the same thing couldn't be said about Alice. She went back to my office with a glass of ice water and stayed for a good five minutes. On her way back to the front, she walked past me, skipping and humming, almost singing her words. "She seems nice."

How I wanted to throw a wrench at her head.

Once I figured out what was wrong with Rose's car, I went back to my office to speak with her. "You have a little oil leak which is dripping down on a sensor and cracked it. We don't have the sensor in stock, but I can order it and probably have it tomorrow and then fix the leak, too."

"How much will this cost?" I knew she was worried about the money aspect because she was out of work.

"Don't worry about it," I walked over to my desk to use the phone. "You can make payments or something."

Before she could say anything else, I picked up the phone and dialed. Out of the corner of my eye I caught Rose sitting there, watching me and biting her lip. Absent mindedly I grabbed the Dunkin' Donuts cup on my desk and found it empty. Damn, so much for a much needed caffeine fix. I spoke with my parts supplier and they confirmed that they had the sensor in stock and would deliver it later on today.

"Okay, the part will be here later," I said. "Can you bring your car back tomorrow?"

"Yes, any specific time?"

Hell, I didn't want her to leave. She could stay here all night with me and wake up on the couch tomorrow morning at my side. "Any time after ten is good."

"Don't you have to check to see if you have other appointments or anything?"

"No, I know I don't." I didn't usually take scheduled appointments. I ran the place so helped out when needed on the floor and did the paperwork.

"Okay, I'll probably come in around eleven."

"It might take a bit. I think I know where the leak is and it might take about three or four hours to fix and the sensor is another half hour at least. Do you have someone to pick you up after you drop your car off?"

"I don't think so," she said. It appeared like she was mulling over something. "My roommate goes into work early and I think she said she's doing something afterward tomorrow."

"Feel free to stick around, but make sure to come in with a full stomach or bring something to munch on." Something to munch on? Did I just say that? I needed to get her out of here before I started sounding like a complete idiot.

As if she could read my mind, she rose from the couch and walked in my direction. I got up from my chair so I could walk her out. "Thanks so much for your help, Emmett. Maybe my friend was right about this place."

"Yeah, tell Lisa I said 'hi'." Rose appeared shocked. "What?"

"How'd you know it was my friend, Lisa?"

"She's the best word of mouth advertising that we have," I confessed. "Hell, I almost don't have to advertise because of her."

"Well, she was right."

"I'm glad I could prove your immediate thoughts wrong."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know what to think once I saw Jake up on the lift yelling, 'Boss! Boss!'" She shook her head. "Seriously, Edward does that kind of stuff all the time?"

"Ask Lisa, she could tell you some horror stories."

"I just might," she smiled. "I just might, although I never thought I'd be spending a night talking about Emmett and Edward Cullen."

As we walked past Alice, she shouted out a good-bye and waved frantically. "Come on back, now, ya hear?"

Rose giggled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Jake!" He turned at his name and I motioned to Rose's car and then to the outside. He cleaned off his hands, backed her car out of the garage, and made himself scarce. He knew better than to hang around when I didn't want him, so he hurried off back to work. At least one of my employees worked when I needed him to.

"Will you be working on my car tomorrow, Emmett?"

"Probably, why?" We were standing awkwardly by the side of her car. I flashed back to a time in high school by my locker when I wanted to ask a girl named Meg out, but I was so nervous I froze. I didn't say anything, and she ended up with the star quarterback of the football team.

"I was just wondering if my car will be in capable hands." I almost said something when she continued. "And wondering if I'll be seeing you again."

"Yeah, I'll be working on it tomorrow." I scratched the back of my head nervously.

"Okay." I opened the door for her and she slid inside, started the car, and rolled down the window. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I, for one, couldn't wait.


	3. Nerves of Steel

Many thanks to SarcasticBimbo for editing chapters 1-3.

 **FAIR WARNING:** Chapters 1, 2, and 3 were written for a fandom event a few years ago and I never posted it. When Hurricane Harvey hit, Fandoms for Harvey was started. After the other hurricanes quickly formed, the name was changed to Fandoms for Hope and Hurricane Relief was started. I wrote chapters 4 and 5 for this event. The compilation for the event is going out on December 20th, 2017. I can not release chapter 4 and 5 until FEBRUARY 28TH, 2018, but the first three chapters will be released before December 20th.

 **Disclaimer:** I'm not Meyer and don't own Twilight. Would I be doing this if I did? I'd be on a vacation... on some far away island with cabana boys fanning me. I just like taking her characters for a literary ride, human-style.

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Nerves of Steel**

"You didn't even get her number, did you?" Edward's voice interrupted the quiet tranquility of my office. "What if something happens and the part doesn't come in and we have to call and cancel?"

I shrugged. "She knows Lisa. We have her info on file."

"That's not the point!" He closed the door, walked over to my desk, and sat on the edge of it. "Man, you didn't get any info on her like you do for other customers. Plus, you could've gotten her number for your _own_ use, you know what I mean?"

"Trust me," I said. "I knew what you're hinting at. At this time, she's still a customer. How would it look if I called her up just to chat?"

"Um, like you care about your customers?" Edward smiled widely at the idiocy of his words. "You better nab her before Bella does!"

"Whoa, whoa, wait- I thought Bella was straight?" My brother's girlfriend continued to confuse me.

"I think I could talk Bella into a threesome with a girl." Edward's fingers strummed along my desk. "She's told me that she's attracted to certain females. She thinks Alice is cute, but you know, I can't go there with my own sister. One time at the bar when she was lit up like a firecracker, she kissed one of her friends. Oh, and I do mean _kissed_." His eyes were glazed over as he reminisced. "That was hot. I never thought watching my girl French kiss another girl would be hot, but it totally is."

"You two were so made for each other."

"Thanks, bro!" I knew he'd take that as a compliment. "You're totally going to be my best man right?"

Best man? What? "Best man? Who said anything about a wedding?" I needed to see if a heart attack would be covered under cause of death in my life insurance policy.

"Calm the heart palpitations down there!" Edward was going to drive me insane. "I meant in a future sense. We've talked about it, but that's all. I haven't popped the question or anything. Yet."

"I can picture it now." I leaned back in my chair. "You and Bella married and my little retarded nieces and nephews running around. Yeah, they're totally getting helmets for their birthdays, you know."

"The word 'retarded' is passé," Edward said. "The phrase is 'special needs' and… hey! My kids wouldn't be retarded, dumbass!"

"Edward?"

"Yes, dumbass?"

"Get back to work, fucktard."

"Jesus Christ, 'get back to work,' 'get back to work,' that's all you ever say," he mocked me. "Don't you know any other phrases?"

"You're fired."

"Okay, okay, I'll get back to work, wonderful, dear brother of mine, Mr. Emmett 'Bossman,' sir!" Edward hopped off my desk and headed to the door.

"Kiss ass."

Thankfully, he was out of my office and the silence returned. Serenity. Solitude. Quiet tranquility once more.

Until my damn sister walked in. Why didn't I work from home? "Here you go, Boss!" A half sheet of ruled white paper from a writing pad with Alice's handwriting floated down in front of me.

"What's this, sis?"

"Well, since you neglected to take down Rose's contact information, I took it upon myself to call Lisa who called Rose who called us back with said needed information and now I'm passing it on to _you_." Alice exhaled and sat down on the edge of my desk.

"I'm not calling her, sis."

"Call her."

"No."

"Call her."

"No."

" _Call her_." As if her insisting would actually change my mind.

"Alice?"

"Yes, Boss?" Her eyes lit up and she leaned toward me.

"Get back to work."

"Fucker," she said. "Edward is right. You're like a damn CD player that's stuck on repeat. The song you're stuck on sucks ass."

At least Alice left more quietly than Edward did, well, that was until she slammed my door shut. I stared at the piece of paper in my hand. I couldn't call Rose; not yet anyway. Not without a good excuse. I'd look like some damn stalker.

I glanced down at Rose's contact information. Hell, no wonder she knew Lisa—I recognized Rose's address as Lisa's. Lisa must be the roommate Rose spoke of earlier.

I couldn't get Rose out of my head for the rest of the day. In fact, it wasn't until that night when I was emptying my pockets that my thoughts shifted when I retrieved the fiver out of my jeans.

Ah, damn it – from one female obsession to another.

The next time Edward was bored I was putting him to work or I'd knock him out for a few hours. Maybe I'd just buy him a damn blow up doll like I mentioned the other night. Whichever option would shut him the hell up and keep me from accosting another female and robbing her of her last five dollars.

The next morning I headed to work, actually eager to get on with my day. Much to my surprise, Jake and even Alice were already in and working. The sensor for Rose's car had arrived the day before and just before eleven; Alice announced that Rose was in the customer waiting area. Rose saw me, waved, and walked over to Alice's desk. She had a Dunkin' Donuts cup in her hand, but there was one already placed on the table she was sitting at.

"I noticed that you like coffee, so I took a chance and picked one up for you." She extended her arm and the cup in my direction. "Wasn't sure how you liked it so I got it black."

"You didn't have to do that, but thanks," I took her offering gratefully. "We do have a coffee maker, but I don't know what Alice does to the java."

Alice spun around in her seat and stared at me. "I make it the way _I_ like it."

"Which is about one thousand times too strong for human consumption," I told her. "One thimble full of your coffee is like five of those tiny cups of Cuban coffee."

"Lisa told me that the only thing she disliked about your shop was the coffee," Rose said with a slight grimace. "But she didn't have any other complaints."

Alice spun back around to face Rose. "I'm gonna have to beat that girl the next time she comes in!"

"You will not!" I went over to the coffee machine and grabbed a few sugar packets and creamer to put in my coffee. As I was emptying them into my cup, I felt a presence beside me. When I turned my head, I caught Rose looking up at me. "For future reference, I like my coffee light and sweet." I explained.

I wasn't quite sure why I stupidly stated that. In all likelihood, I'd never see Rose again. Even if I did get up the nerve to ask her out, there was no saying she'd say yes. It boggled my mind that I was confident in so many areas of my life, but asking a girl out made me want to run and hide in the fetal position. Even if she did agree to go out with me, there was no saying that we'd actually get along. Just because she was gorgeous and turned me on didn't mean that we were perfect for each other.

What the hell was wrong with me? Why was I so awkward? My thoughts were more of an emotional rollercoaster than when Alice was on the rag. I needed to reign myself in and get to work. That plan was shot to hell when Rose smiled at me. "Good to know," she said. "For future reference and all that."

My brain had turned to absolute mush.

"I brought my laptop to keep myself occupied while I wait." Rose pointed to the table where her coffee and laptop was sitting. "Alice said it's okay to hop onto your WiFi."

"Yeah, help yourself." _To me. You can help yourself to me._ I needed to get the hell out of there, pronto!

I turned, my fingers brushed up against her upper arm, but she didn't make a move. "Okay, thanks. I'm still job hunting."

"Good luck with that. I know it's a tough market out there." I wanted to ask her what her previous job was. Hell, I wanted to sit down and talk to her, but I couldn't. I had to fix her car. "I'm going to get to work."

We did that weird little dance when you both move at the same time without meaning it. Then you both go and try again, but still get in each other's way. "Rose, it's been nice dancing with you and everything, but I have got to get to work."

She stepped back and extended her right arm toward the garage. "After you, Mr. Cullen."

"Thank you, Ms. Hale."

On the way back out to the garage, Alice made kissing noises at me. I tried to inconspicuously flip her the bird as I walked past. She swatted at me, her hand landing against my ass. "Hey! Get—"

"I know, 'get back to work,' Boss."

Halfway out the door, I turned to my sister and stuck my tongue out at her. Rose was watching us, giggling at our display. We weren't the most professional bunch.

Rose's laughter turned my brain to mush for the second time that day. I almost tripped out on the floor. I fought with the box the sensor came in and nearly took to stomping on the thing before finally opening the cardboard devil, retrieving the part, and placing it at my work station. I was halfway out of the building on the way to get Rose's car when I remembered that I didn't have her keys.

Oh yeah, this was going great, so far. Grabbing her keys from Alice, I dared to sneak a glance at Rose and maybe it was my overactive imagination, but I thought I caught her looking at me. I shrugged it off, making an excuse that I was seeing things.

Edward had come finally come in and had gotten to work. "Good to see you decided to work today."

"Yeah, well, you know, I have this hard ass of a boss who likes to yell at me when I don't do my job," he said. "Besides, I got shit I need to get done. Vito wants new interiors on his roadster."

"Don't screw it up or I'll never hear the end of it."

"Hey, man, it's me you're talking to," he said. "I know what the fuck I'm doing."

That was true, but it was sometimes hard to remember with how much Edward liked to joke around. Though he didn't start with cars at such a young age like I did, my brother was still damn good at what he did. Once his ability to become a musician had been taken away, Edward needed something else to occupy his time. I tried to get him interested in cars and the mechanics behind them. For some reason, his interest didn't click right away. Maybe it was because his loss of musical ability was so closely linked to the loss of our parents. Whatever the reasoning, it took a good six months of nagging him before he started asking questions. Like me, he was a natural, albeit, a late bloomer. At the young age of eleven, I showed him everything our father had taught me, and then our uncle Carlisle continued to teach us both.

I got to work on Rose's car and minus some minor calamities—Edward somehow locking Jake in the bathroom and having to help Jake with something because he second guessed himself—everything was going well even though the oil leak was in the head gasket. Unfortunately, that meant I was never going to get Rose's car done before the end of the day.

Rose and Alice seemed to get along well. Alice ordered lunch from Paesano's and when she called me into my office, Rose was there, as well. It didn't take long for Alice to disappear, leaving Rose and me alone. My heart was pounding, my pulse was racing fast, and my skin was clammy. I leaned back into the chair and exhaled. I needed to calm the hell down.

"Are you okay?"

My head rolled in Rose's direction. "Yeah, I guess I'm just stressed. Maybe I need a vacation or something."

"Been a while?"

I sat up straight against the back of the chair, the wooden legs creaking under my weight. Closing my eyes, I rolled my shoulders and neck, trying to reduce tension. "Eons."

I didn't see her move, but I felt Rose behind me, and her hands made contact with my shoulders, softly kneading at my muscles beneath my shirt. "Sit back and relax, Emmett."

"Rose, you—" Her hand came around from behind me and clamped down against my mouth, preventing me from speaking. I wanted to open my mouth just enough so I could dart my tongue out and tease her, but I didn't.

"Shut up." Her tone was commanding and sexy at the same time. She removed her hand from my mouth and it returned to my shoulder. All the tension slowly washed away as Rose continued to knead at my skin, somehow gentle and forceful at the same time. The feel of her fingers working at the knots in my shoulders was exhilarating. I stifled a moan, not wanting it to escape and embarrass her. Rose's fingers were against the back of my neck, pressing and rubbing, when I realized I was starting to get a little too excited.

This was not good. Well, it was and it wasn't all at the same time, but hell, did I love the feeling of her hands on me.

"Thanks, I'm good now." My voice didn't sound quite like my own. I sounded more relaxed.

Rose paused, her hands still on my shoulders. "Are you sure? You have a lot of tension in your shoulders."

"Yes, thank you. Would you happen to be a professional masseuse?"

She laughed at my question. "No, I'm not."

I reached back and covered one of her hands with mine. "Maybe you should be."

"I'll keep that in mind." She slowly slid her hand out from underneath mine. "I do believe you need to get back to work, Mr. Cullen."

"Hey, that's my line."

She shifted and stood at my side. "Well, who keeps the boss in line?"

"In my particular case, no one does."

I could tell that Rose wanted to say something else, but she didn't utter another word. I didn't either as I took my garbage, dumped it into the trash and left.

Out on the floor, Jake had a goofy look on his face. "What?" I asked.

"Can I be next?"

"Next for what?"

Jake was cleaning off his hands on a rag. "Seems like you enjoyed the little massage Rose gave you."

It would have been really helpful if the blinds in my office were closed during my impromptu massage session. "You." I pointed to the pick up truck he was working on. "Work."

"Yes. Boss," he said with a laugh. "Good to see you relaxed now and then."

"Are you still with Angela, Jake?"

He threw the rag on his toolbox. "Yeah, you know we're still together."

"Get a massage from her then."

I went back to work, realizing I hadn't told Rose that I was never going to be able to finish her car that day. Hours later, it was silent when the sound of footsteps invaded the garage. "Emmett?"

"Yeah?"

"It seems as if you've lost all track of time," Rose said. "It's five-thirty and everyone else has left."

I looked up at the clock. Hell, the shop closed at five. "I was so into trying to get this done for you that I didn't even notice the time."

"If you can give me a ride home, it can wait until tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" I asked. "I don't want to inconvenience you."

"I'd be doing that to you if I expected you to finish tonight. Alice told me the oil leak was in the head gasket and explained that it would take longer to fix." Rose bit her lip before continuing. "Besides, don't you have someone to get home to?"

"No," I replied. "The dust bunnies don't seem to miss me when I'm not there."

She smiled at me, her green eyes sparkling bright. "Alice locked the front up before she left. I'll go grab my stuff and wait for you."

I took that as a sign that she was willing to drag me out to my car. I thoroughly washed my hands and made my way through the building, checking to make sure all the exits were secure and that everything was put away properly. One bay door was slightly open, so I closed it and when I was done, I found Rose sitting at Alice's desk in her chair.

"Ready?"

She nodded, hopping up from the chair and following me out the front. I secured the door behind me and led the way to my car. I took Rose's laptop and placed it in the back seat, watching her slide into the front passenger side. Hell, I'd be replaying the move in my head all night long.

"Where do you live again?" I remembered the address Alice had given me yesterday, but I didn't want Rose to know what my busybody of a sister was up to.

"The Wild Hills apartment complex," she replied. "Have you heard of it?"

"Girl, Wild Hills is the largest apartment complex around here," I said. "It's not a complex; it's a village unto itself."

I headed in the general direction of Wild Hills and we made small talk on the way. Rose had to guide me through the complex once we reached it. For some reason, I put my car in park, pulled out the key, and went to get Rose's laptop out of the back for her. I didn't think escorting her to her door was mandatory, but I didn't want to leave her presence just yet.

Rose's apartment was on the third level. All the apartments had their own access from the outside, which meant walking up three flights of stairs. I took the opportunity to catch a great glimpse of Rose's ass as she made her way up the stairs in front of me.

I had an overwhelming urge to smack it.

Not knowing where the hell those thoughts crept up from, I shook my head and tore my eyes away from her beautifully sculpted rear end. My eyes wanted to yell at me for my treachery.

Standing in front of her apartment, Rose cracked open the screen door and placed her laptop down on the wooden landing. Inside her apartment, a light went on, and a voice came from the inside. "Rose, is that you?"

Rose whipped around and grabbed the door handle, struggling with it. "I'll just be a minute, Lisa."

"Ah ha! That's how you know Lisa!"

"Emmett Cullen? Is that Emmett out there?" Lisa's voice was excited. "What are you doing at my door step? Did you finally decide to take me up on my offer of being my sex slave?"

I laughed out loud at her remark. "No, honey, I'm not here to be your sex slave. I'm working on Rose's car and it's not finished so I gave her a ride home."

Lisa growled ferociously. "Ah, damn it. Can I change your mind, hot stuff?"

The door was moving slightly and Rose cursed under her breath as she fought with it. "I'll be right in, Lisa. Shoo."

"It's an open invite Emmett!" Lisa shouted.

Rose mumbled some words to Lisa through the door and everything went quiet. "Sorry," she apologized. "You know how Lisa can be."

"All too well."

I leaned uncomfortably against the building. Seriously, where did you steer a conversion with the woman you were all hot and bothered for after her roommate just asked you if you were there to be her sex slave? I really didn't have a clue. There had to be a manual out there somewhere for this shit.

Rose looked as uncomfortable as I did. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure," I replied. "What's on your mind?"

Rose blinked a few times before continuing. "Will I see you again after tomorrow?"

I took another step forward and my heart was beating fast, but in a good way. I was anticipating her answer to my question. "Would you like to?" She smiled shyly at me. I took one final step closer to her and there was no more distance between us. If we were the same height, we would be staring directly into each other's eyes; instead, I was staring down into hers.

"Yes."

I smiled stupidly at her, grinning widely. "Are you doing anything Friday night?"

"There's a company sock wash, but I can get out of that." It was such a random line, but I loved it.

"Would you like to go out Friday night then?" I asked. "I'd like to get to know you better, Rose."

"I'd like that," she said. "A lot."

I grinned and her eyes lit up. Reaching up, I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "Do you need me to pick you up after I get your car done?"

"I think Lisa can drop me off." She smiled and lowered her voice. "She's going to kill me when she finds out that I'm going on a date with you."

I shrugged. "She'll get over it."

"Maybe." Rose looked at the door and then back to me. "If not, I'll be looking for not only a job, but a new roommate, too."

"Let me know if you need me to talk her off the ledge or anything."

She giggled. "I will."

"What's going on out there!?" Lisa yelled from inside the apartment. "Are you attempting to talk Emmett into coming inside for a drink? We have alcohol!"

" _She_ has alcohol. One beer. I think." Rose groaned. "I better get inside and brace for the insanity. I'll see you tomorrow."

She grabbed her bag and snuck inside, pushing Lisa out of the way, before closing the door. I stood there for a moment with my hands shoved into the front pockets of my jeans. I had scored a date with Rose. Walking back to my car, I was sure I had a smile like the Cheshire cat plastered across my face.


	4. Pranks & Prey

**Summary:** Family. Fast cars. Flirting. Secrets. Pranks. Romance. Illegal activities. It's just another day at Cullen Auto Works, where chaos reigns supreme. AH-Emmett/Rose-Romance/Humor. Rated R-for language and themes

Thanks to Jenrar for editing chapter 4!

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ I don't own Twilight and I'm not Meyer. I just enjoy taking the characters out for a spin, human-style.

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 **Chapter 4: Pranks & Prey**

The next morning I was in my office hanging up the phone when Alice barged in without knocking. "Rose is here!" She was overly exuberant, which probably meant that she had already downed about a gallon of coffee.

"Okay." I smiled and tried to contain my excitement at seeing Rose again. "I'll be right there."

"I think she likes you." Alice rubbed her hands together manically. "She brought you coffee again."

I fought back the grin that was trying to invade my face. "She's my savior from your drudge."

"I like my coffee like I like my men," she said defiantly. "Strong."

"Are you still on the hunt for your newest prey?" Alice had been single for almost as long as I had been. Neither one of us seemed to have much luck on the dating scene recently, but I was hopeful that was going to change very soon for the both of us.

"Your luck seems to be turning around, so I hope mine will be, too." Alice grinned widely. "Rose seems awfully excited to be here this morning. What went on with you two last night after we left?"

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Pipsqueak."

"Dickhead."

"That's Mr. Boss Dickhead to you."

She started laughing. "I'm _so_ using that."

She would, too. Alice left my office, and with a shake of my head, I quickly got up and trailed behind her to the waiting area.

Unaware that I had followed her, Alice went up to Rose and pronounced, "Mr. Boss Dickhead will at your service in a minute. He's being a bear this morning."

I crossed my arms over my chest. "Am not."

Alice jumped at the sound of my voice and turned to face me. "Are heart attacks by family members covered in my life insurance policy?"

"I wouldn't know. I don't hold one on you," I said, and she glared at me. "You. Alice. Work."

"Who replaced my brother with a caveman?" Alice asked.

Rose looked up at me and smiled. There were two Dunkin' Donuts cups in front of her, and she had brought her laptop again.

The phone at Alice's desk rang shrilly. She sulked off to answer it, muttering under her breath, "Freakin' customers!"

"Please excuse Alice. It seems as though she often forgets that we're in a business where we _need_ customers." Sliding a chair out, I sat down next to Rose, and she pushed one of the cups in my direction.

"Light and sweet this time."

"Ah, you remembered." I peeled back the plastic stopper on the lid and took a long drink. "Perfection. Thanks, Rose."

"You're welcome," she said shyly. "They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, but I'm not much of a cook. I can bake, though."

"Cake and cookies?" I asked, and she nodded in reply. "I have a sweet tooth, so dessert is a must in my book. I can cook a few things decently enough. It's boring to cook for myself, but I haven't managed to starve to death."

"I'm glad to hear that." Rose raised her cup, and my eyes followed the trail it made to her lips. I tried not to stare, but I couldn't help it. Her lips were round and full, and I had the sudden urge to meet them with my own. The plastic lid made contact with Rose's lips as she sipped on her coffee. When she pulled the cup away, there was a drop of java on her top lip. Her tongue darted out to remove it.

"Hey, boss?" Alice's voice interrupted my daydreaming about Rose's lips. I turned to the right in my seat to meet my sister's gaze. "You. Boss. Work."

"Go figure out fire or something, Cavewoman."

Alice leaned her chin on her hand and smiled at us. "Stop flirting with the customers and get to work, boss."

As I spoke to my sister, I reached my left hand out toward Rose's and brushed my fingers against hers. "Yeesh, I can't sit down and talk to someone for five minutes without being accused of something."

I couldn't see her face, but I felt Rose's fingers intertwine with mine. Since she didn't pull away, I considered what I had done a good move. I longed to touch her even more, but we were at my place of business, my sister was in the same room, and we hadn't even been on our first date yet. It didn't stop my mind from wanting to pick her up from the chair, sling her over my shoulder, and take her to my office so we could be alone with the blinds drawn. Ah yes, how caveman of me.

As I turned back toward Rose, I slid my hand away from her. "I guess the pipsqueak is right. I should get to work. It seems like I have someone's car I need to finish fixing."

She smiled back at me. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll be right here whenever you're finished."

Clutching my coffee, I rose from my seat and crossed the room. Alice made a face at me as I passed the counter. "It's gonna freeze that way one of these years."

She crooked a finger at me, and as I rounded the counter, I went over to her. Leaning down, I expected her to whisper something, but instead, she screamed very loudly, "Yeah, and maybe one day you'll get laid again!"

I felt my face flush red, and I wanted to wring my sister's neck. My back was to Rose, so I couldn't see her face and I didn't hear her say anything. Silently, I shook my head and left to change into some work clothes so I could fix Rose's car, Alice's laughter ringing in my ears.

Jake came in carrying a small red cooler which I knew held a lunch that his girlfriend, Angela, had made for him. They had been together for as long as I had known Jake, which was about five years now. From what I could see, he cared for her deeply, and she returned the feelings tenfold.

He greeted me a good morning as he passed and headed directly to the employee break room. I assumed Jake put his lunch in his locker and then changed and returned to the floor to get to work. Honestly, the guy was a better employee than my own brother. Edward rolled in fifteen minutes later with Bella hanging off his arm. He walked past me, conspicuously whistling and carrying a cooler much like Jake's under his arm. Ignoring them, I tuned my focus back to Rose's car until I heard a noise next to me. When I glanced up, Bella was standing there, and I did all I could do not to laugh my ass off. The girl liked to streak her hair with different colors, and this week was no exception. Today her very dark-brown hair was contrasted with stripes of the shade of white.

I kid not. White.

"Hey, Pepé Le Pew. What's going on?"

Bella's head whipped from side to side as if there was an imaginary person standing next to her that I was actually referring to. "Who the hell are you talking to?"

"You, Skunkella."

I heard Jake snickering from his work area next to me. "Nice, boss."

"I think I deserve a pat on the back for that one," I said. "Pretty damn clever, eh?"

Jake started laughing some more, which seemed to infuriate Bella because she didn't understand what was going on. "Oh, shut it, Wolf Boy," she told Jake. "Why don't you and Angela go off into the woods and find the rest of your pack?"

Jake narrowed his eyes at Bella. Ever since he had told us that there was a Native American legend that the tribe he descended from involved some kind of mythology with wolves, Bella called him Wolf Boy. "Why is she out here on the floor?"

"I came to visit with Alice," she replied defensively. "Is she in?"

"I don't keep her out here under the hood of a car, Skunkella," I said. "She's at her desk." I refrained from tacking a "duh" to the end of my sentence. Thankfully, she turned and walked away from us.

"Damn dingbat," Jake muttered under his breath.

I fully agreed. "They should _not_ procreate."

"Dumbest. Babies. Ever." Jake turned and went back to work as Edward, dressed in his work clothes, made his way over to us.

"You need to have a little talk with Bella," I said. "She needs to stop dying her hair. It's seeping through her skull and into her brain."

"Stop picking on my girlfriend!" he said. "I hear Rose is back and waiting for you to finish with her car."

"As you can see, I'm working on it."

"Uh-huh." He raised his eyebrows up and down and then slinked off toward the waiting area to check in with Alice.

I tried to contain a growl, but a low one managed to escape.

Jake heard me and chuckled. "Someone's got the hots for a pretty girl."

"Gorgeous is more like it."

"Ask her out, boss."

I swore and dropped the wrench I had been holding, narrowly missing my own feet with it.

Jake stared at me. "You did ask her out, didn't you? Oh, no, don't tell me she said no?"

I smiled faintly and whispered. "We're going out tomorrow night."

"That's great, boss!" I could tell that he was genuinely happy for me. "I take it Edward doesn't know?"

"No, he doesn't," I said. "And quite frankly, I'd like to keep it that way. You know better than anyone else how he has a big mouth. He'll probably figure shit out, but he doesn't need to know specifics yet."

"Gotcha." Jake was about to go and test drive a car when I stopped him.

"I want you to go over to the warehouse at two o'clock today," I told him. "Salvatore will be bringing in another car, and I want you to check it out. He liked your work on the last one and specifically requested you and wants the same deal as the last time."

"Another street racer? Easy. He requested me, huh?" Jake had sported a wide grin. "I feel like I should be preening or something."

"Don't let it go to your head, but I knew I could count on you." I turned back to Rose's car and expected him to walk away, but he was still standing there next to his toolbox. "What is it, Jake?"

"I should warn you that I expect Edward to be pissed off at me later."

I didn't know if I should have groaned at the thought of a fight between the two of them or laughed that Jake had finally begun to retaliate against Edward for his pranks. "Are you two going to end up brawlin'?"

"If he swings at me, I'll defend myself, but I don't want to fight him. I'm tired of him picking on me like I'm his grade school crush." He laughed. "Wait, no, wrong analogy since we're both straight. I'm tired of him picking on me like he's the bully and I'm the new kid in school. I've been working for you for five years now, and he still tries to find ways to annoy me."

Actually, I thought a straight version of Jake's first analogy of a grade school crush was more on the spot. Edward was a big prankster, and if he hadn't liked Jake he wouldn't bother with him at all. Pulling pranks or saying inappropriate comments at the wrong time was Edward's mixed-up way of showing affection for those he cared about. I blamed it on our upbringing. Edward was eight when our parents died. There were times when he wanted attention, and to obtain it he'd act out. Over the years his patterns changed from simply acting out to pranks, boisterous behavior, and speaking without a filter. If you weren't used to him, then he didn't send the right impression.

"And when do you expect shit to go down so I can be here to call an ambulance, or the cops, if need be?"

"Lunch break."

I sighed, shook my head, and went back to work. "Thanks for the warning." It was just another typical day at _Cullen Auto Works,_ where chaos reigns supreme.

I went back to work, and for the first time in an extremely long time I wasn't interrupted.

Hours later, Alice's voice broke into my concentration. "What do you want for lunch, Mr. Boss Dickhead?"

"It's that time already?" I glanced up at the clock on the wall. "Just get me whatever."

"How much more time will it take to finish up Rose's car?" Alice asked with a gleam in her eye.

"About another hour," I replied, curious as to what my sister was up to. "Why?"

"Paesano's can get a pie here in twenty minutes." She smiled at me and bounced on her toes. "You can invite Rose to have a slice with you in your office."

I held back a chuckle and a smile. There was no way in hell that I was going to tell Alice that I absolutely loved her idea. "You are not very subtle."

"You can thank me when she's like putty in your hands."

Alice ran off to call in a pizza, and I worked another ten minutes before going to clean up. Edward went off to wash up, and Bella headed into the break room. Alice was sitting at her desk and was on the phone, so I headed over to Rose and sat down.

"Care to join me for lunch?"

"After everything else you're doing for me, you're giving me lunch?"

"What? We're getting pizza. Are you going to eat an entire pie on your own?" Taking a quick peek, I noted that Alice was still on the phone. "Besides, we can talk about what we're doing tomorrow night," I whispered.

She shook her head at me, her eyelids half closed. "Tsk, tsk. Mr. Cullen, you have ulterior motives for getting me into your office."

"Truth be told, not as much as my sister."

Angela walked through the front door and came over to me. "Hey, boss." Even nonemployees didn't call me by my name.

"What's going on, Ang?"

She leaned down and gave me a hug and a kiss on cheek like she always did. "I haven't missed anything, have I?" She appeared nervous and was holding a canvas shopping bag at her side. After my little talk with Jake earlier, her apprehension kind of made me nervous. What in the hell was about to go down today?

"There hasn't been any fighting, if that's what you're talking about."

She pushed her glasses back up her nose and smiled. "That's what I needed to know."

"How bad is it going to be?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "That depends on Edward." Angela patted me on the back and went to talk to Alice. I assumed she was biding her time until the shit hit the fan.

I met Rose's gaze. "In my next life, I am not being in charge of anything!"

"Who is that?" Rose was chewing on her upper lip. I would have gladly chewed on it for her.

"Angela? She's Jake's girl. They've been together forever." I noted the smile that spread across Rose's face at my explanation. "Something is going down, but I don't know what. Let's get you back to my office and hopefully out of harm's way."

One of Paesano's delivery cars pulled into the parking lot as we were walking past Alice's desk. I helped Rose with her things, and we headed back to my office. Grabbing the small card table that I kept stored in there, I set it up for us to use, and Rose placed the chairs at it. I went back to the office and somehow managed to snag one of the pizzas, a bottle of soda, cups, and napkins from Alice's desk and get it into my office without dropping anything.

Here I was alone with Rose again. What in the hell was I going to talk to her about again? Oh yeah, I had used an excuse involving tomorrow night's date. But then what? I could only hope she was good at small talk or things would just roll along naturally.

Opening the pizza box, I turned it toward Rose so she could take a slice. She removed one and put it on her plate, and then, unexpectedly, she picked up a second slice and placed it on my plate and looked up at me. "Sorry, I didn't mean… You don't mind, do you?"

I shrugged. "Only if you don't gimme another one."

She smiled, picked up another slice, and placed it on my plate.

Taking a bite, I watched as Rose did the same and nodded her head in approval. "Best pizza in town," I said after swallowing.

"It's really good," she agreed. "I've never had pizza from Paesano's before."

"Now you know what you've been missing out on." This small talk business was seriously sucking. Big-time. "So, Rose, about tomorrow night…"

Of course, just when I thought it'd be best to jump right into the real reason why I wanted to talk to her, I heard Edward screaming from the break room next door.

"Ahhhh!" His screams came across as kind of feminine. "Jacob Black! Ahhh, God. I'm gonna kill you!"

"That's my cue!" I rose so fast from my seat I almost toppled the table. I hurried into the break room to find Edward hunched over one table with Bella at his side. He was coughing and sputtering, his face red from exertion. Jake and Angela were sitting at the other table, a smirk on each of their faces.

"Jake, you son of a bitch!" Edward coughed and fanned air into his mouth with one hand. "My mouth is on fire."

"What the hell is going on?" I asked in the doorway of the break room. Rose was standing behind me, pressed against my back with her head peaking around my arm.

Jake tapped at the red cooler in front of him. "His roof, his roof, his roof is on _fire_."

I was not only entirely amused but also confused at the same time.

"Edward got my lunch confused with his and had a very unpleasant surprise."

Edward had an identical cooler sitting on the table in front of him, only his was open and the contents were strewn on the table. The cooler in front of Jake was closed. Angela opened up her canvas shopping bag and removed two sandwiches and a bag of potato chips. Placing them on the table, she smiled knowingly at Jake.

I folded my arms across my chest and nodded in Jake's direction. "What's in the cooler?"

"Whatever sabotaged food Edward put in there," Jake supplied knowingly. He had the biggest damn smile on his face. He must have been very satisfied with himself.

"What's Edward eating?"

Jake raised his sandwich to his mouth to take a bite. "What Ang made for us, but his version has a few hidden jalapeño peppers stuffed inside that turkey sandwich."

No wonder Edward screamed like a sissy. He didn't partake in hot or spicy foods. I let out a sigh of relief. At least I didn't have to break up a fight or call the cops on my own employees. "Nice." I couldn't help but laugh. "Edward, drink some milk. It'll lessen the fire in your mouth."

"Son of a bitch!" Edward cursed while still fanning the air around him. He had perspiration dotting his forehead. "We don't have milk." Although with the way he was pronouncing the words, the sentence sounded more like, "E don 'ave ilk."

"Did you two happen to bring any?" I asked the two coconspirators.

Jacob, his mouth full of food, gave me the thumbs-down sign.

"I guess you'll have to run to the corner store and get some, now won't you?" I turned, and Rose was mere inches away, a smile on her face.

"You run an entertaining business, you know that, right?"

"I aim to please, ma'am," I winked at her and raised my elbow in her direction. "Shall we go back to our lunch?"

Rose looped her arm through mine. "Oh, we shall."

During lunch I filled Rose in on other pranks Edward had pulled on Jake over the years. She sat there across from me, laughing and enthralled with the stories. "…so Jake was locked in the bathroom, and he thought there was this huge-ass snake in there with him. I saw the sucker afterward. I don't know where Edward got the fake snake, but it was really realistic."

She was doubled over the table in laughter. "I don't know how you put up with them. I would have gone crazy or fired every single one of them."

"They're my family." I shrugged. "They're the most important people in my life."

There was an odd silence in that hung in the air as Rose stared at me. She glanced away and blinked a few times before returning her eyes to me. "It's good to know you have your priorities in order."

"I try." I cleared my throat nervously. "So, about tomorrow night, is there anything in particular that you'd be against?"

She shook her head. "No, I'm game for whatever. It'd be good to know if I need to get all pretty and dressed up or not."

"Seriously? You're gorgeous just the way you are."

She blushed and ducked her head.

"I didn't mean to embarrass you."

"It's okay," she said. "I guess I'm not used to compliments."

I reached across the table and covered her hand with mine. "That's a shame, because you deserve to be complimented."

"So casual dress it is?" she asked, clearing her throat and effectively changing the subject.

I would not let her get away with it. "Yes, Ms. Beautiful, casual dress will be fine."

Alice decided to take that very moment to burst into my office, her breathing increased and cheeks flushed. "Oh, dearest brother of mine!" I knew that she wanted something since she was being nice. Knowing Alice, she was hoping to skip out of work for the rest of the day. Bella probably wanted to go shopping. "Since you're mixing business with pleasure, does that mean it's okay if I date a customer, too?"

I hadn't expected that. "Alice!" I heard Rose giggle. "Even if I said no, you wouldn't listen to me anyway. I hope he's not a psycho."

"He's adorable!" She clapped her hands excitedly and waved frantically at the woman sitting across from me. "Rose, come and see and let me know if you get any weird vibe off the guy."

Before I could turn and protest, I heard a chair scrapping against the floor and felt Rose moving past me. Damn it, my sister was stealing my girl away. "Do I get to give the guy the asshole test?"

Alice whipped her head around so quickly I was surprised it didn't fly off. "We can't overwhelm him! Let Rose check him out first."

I was instructed to wait a few minutes while Rose went with Alice and checked this guy out. I wondered if he bounced off the walls with excess energy, too. Slowly making my way to the front, I rounded the corner and found Alice at the counter speaking in hushed tones to a tall blond male. At first inspection he didn't appear to be a scum bag, and he was dressed well. I sat down at Alice's computer and pretended to search for something as I kept one eye on Alice's intended target.

Rose had poured the slowest cup of coffee in history, followed by taking five minutes to prepare it with a million sugar packets. She then cleaned the counter by the coffee maker twice and then pretended to straighten anything and everything in sight. I was waiting for her to pour herself another cup of coffee.

"Emmett, this is Mike. He needs new brakes," Alice introduced us. "Mike, this is my brother, Emmett, the owner of Cullen Auto Works."

While I wanted to say something along the lines of, "Hurt her and I will dump you in the Hudson River with your feet tied to a few concrete blocks," I simply offered my hand and muttered, "Nice to meet you."

"Good to meet you, Emmett." I found his handshake to be weak and his hand to be clammy. My uncle had always told me that a strong and firm handshake was important. Mike's hand was more limp than overcooked pasta. I changed my mind. Even though he didn't look like a bum, I didn't like him. It was a gut instinct, and my instincts were damn good. I didn't know exactly what it was about him that set off my radar, but I didn't want Alice seeing him.

Of course, I couldn't tell my sister that. She'd call me an asshole and go out with him anyway. We'd been through this before, and I had learned my lesson. I excused myself and headed back to my office.

Rose came in, shutting the door behind her as I finished off my last slice of pizza. "You don't like him, do you?" she asked.

"How could you tell?"

"You didn't bump chests and grunt at each other," she said, walking over to the table and sitting down. "You also got out of there way too fast."

"I don't know what it is about him, but I can't tell Alice I don't like him." Grabbing my plate, I got up, threw it in the garbage, and headed for the door. I stopped and turned to face Rose again. "Let's keep it casual for tomorrow night. I'll pick you up around six, okay? I'm going to think of something else for us to do, but dinner is a go. How does that sound?"

"Sounds great."

I smiled at her and was prepared to turn and leave when her voice stopped me.

"Emmett?"

"Yes?"

She rose from the chair and headed in my direction. Stopping mere inches away from me, she reached out and touched my arm. "I don't like him either, but I won't tell Alice."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." I wanted to reach out and embrace her because of her support, but I didn't. "I want to protect her, but I can only do so much or she'll hate me, you know?"

"Yeah, I get it." She removed her hand from my arm. "I come from a family of overprotective men whom the females often refer to as assholes. It's sweet and endearing yet annoying and frustrating at the same time."

"I'll try to remember that." I nervously clenched my hands in and out of fists several times. "I should get back to work. If I remember correctly, I have someone's car to fix by the end of the day."

"Get back to work, boss," she said. "I'm going to clean up our mess from lunch and then go talk to Alice."

I went and finished working on Rose's car with a huge smile on my face, knowing for the first time in a long time that someone outside of my two siblings understood my actions.

* * *

AN: Hope you're enjoying this!


	5. The Date

Thanks to Jenrar for editing chapter 5! I'm not going to have a beta for the rest of this (because I don't have one), so please bare with me and I'll quadruple check everything as much as possible. I'll still mix things up, but it should still be readable.

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Twilight and I'm not Meyer. I just enjoy taking the characters out for a spin, human-style.

* * *

 **Chapter 5: The Date**

While I was far from being a dwarf, I actually whistled while I worked that afternoon. Jacob went to the warehouse to meet with Salvatore about the street racer, and for some unknown reason Edward actually kept his mouth shut and got to work on Vito's roadster. Skunkella was the most annoying spot in my afternoon, occasionally walking through the garage to talk to Edward. I didn't want customers in the shop area for obvious tripping hazards, but Bella wasn't a customer. However, she seemed so damned airheaded all the time that I was always worried she was going to trip over her own two feet and sue me.

When I finished Rose's car, I took it for a test drive. Satisfied with how it was running, I drove it back to the shop, parked it in the front, and walked in the main door. Rose was on the phone at Alice's desk with my sister nowhere in sight.

Rose's head popped up when the door slammed shut, and she waved me over. "Can you hold on for just a moment? Thank you."

She held her hand over the receiver firmly. "I need a quote on four tires for a 2000 Chevy Blazer, and how long does it take to put them on?"

Rose hadn't made a personal call. She was answering the damn business line. I hurried around the desk and took the phone from Rose, placing the call on hold while I looked up a price quote for the tires. "Where the hell is Alice?"

"I don't know," she confessed. "I was sitting at the table when she came over and placed the cordless phone in front me. She said it'd be okay because you were here, and then you left."

"Sorry, I had no idea that no one else was here or I would have waited." I got on the phone and talked to the customer, giving them a price quote and booking an appointment time for them to come in. Hanging up the phone, I stood and passed Rose her keys. "You're ready to roll."

"Sweet!" She pocketed her keys and didn't move. "No offense or anything, but Alice doesn't seem to take her job too seriously. I've done the whole answering phones bit before. Secretarial stuff, you know? The main difference with that and this situation is that I knew the information that people were calling for."

I'd be damned if a light bulb didn't literally pop on above my head. I flipped the switch off though, holding the thought at least until tomorrow night was over. No need to go too fast too soon. "No offense taken," I told her. "Honestly, Alice really sucks as a receptionist." I left off the part where she had wanted to go back to school but didn't want to leave me without a receptionist.

Rose went over to the table and gathered her things. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow night, then?"

I took her laptop and walked with her outside. "It'll be nice to see you away from the craziness that is this place." I had suddenly become tongue tied.

She took her laptop from me and put it in her car. We continued to stand close to one another, her car door closed, when we both went to move at the same time. Rose turned and opened her door while I shifted and moved closer to her and was now standing behind her, one hand reaching out past her and rested on the roof of her car, accidentally boxing her in. Suddenly, she froze and seemed to shrink away from me, grabbing on to the car with all her might.

"Rose?" I called her name, but she was silent and shaking. "Rose?"

"Step back, okay?" Her voice didn't sound as confident as it usually did. "Give me a minute."

I took two steps back and watched her turn around and sit sideways in the driver's seat.

She exhaled and looked up at me. "Sorry."

I knelt down in front of her. What had happened to make her freak out? "Don't be. Are you okay? Did I do something?"

"No, it wasn't you." Rose shook her head.

"Were you attacked by someone?" I gulped. I hoped not. I'd knock their head in.

"Sort of," she said. "I'm usually all right because I wasn't hurt, but I guess something just made me flash back."

I reached out and took her hands in mine. "Are you going to be okay to drive home?"

"I think I'll be okay," she said. "I think I just need a few minutes to regroup and refocus. So, where are you taking me tomorrow night?"

I gently squeezed her hands. "Anywhere you want. Any preference?"

"Actually, I've been craving Mexican."

"Ever been to El Bandido?"

She smiled and muffled a chuckle. "Actually, I've been there once, with Lisa, but it was maybe a year ago. You know they give you a free shot, right?" I nodded, and she continued. "So whatever it was that they gave us was really good, and Lisa flirted with the waiter. He ended up giving us like ten shots for free, but then we couldn't drive home since we also had a half pitcher of sangria. I think it was Jacob who came with the tow truck and drove us back to our place." She closed her eyes for a second and smiled. "Yeah, it was, I remember the name Cullen Auto Works on the truck."

"I didn't realize that I was Lisa's sober ride." I shook my head, remembering the incident. Jacob had been on-call with the tow truck that night and had told me that Lisa had called in. When he got to El Bandido, nothing was wrong with her car. He chalked it up to Lisa and her "cute friend" being drunk and took them home. I never charged Lisa for the tow because I was glad she didn't drive drunk, since that was inexcusable in my book. "Jacob mentioned Lisa's cute friend, but he must've forgotten about you."

"My hair was up in a bun and I had dyed it brown," she offered. "So I was looking a bit different."

I released one of my hands from hers and touched a strand of her hair. "Brown? How could you? What blasphemy!"

My stupid remark had made her laugh. "I was going through a phase, I guess."

And there it was, she was smiling again. "So I'll take you to El Bandido tomorrow night and let the mariachi band serenade us."

Rose let go of my hands, and I suddenly found her arms wrapped around my neck in an awkward embrace since I was kneeling and she was sitting in her car. In fact, the way she had lunged at me almost pushed me onto my ass onto the ground. "Thanks, Emmett."

I felt her lips against my cheek before she slowly moved away. We were still so close to one another. Reaching up, I cupped her cheek in my hand and smiled at her. "No problem." I placed a kiss on her forehead and gazed at her. "I'm looking forward to tomorrow night."

"Me, too," she said. "I should go, I'm sure you've got work that you need to get done."

"I should see what Edward has gotten himself into. It can be dangerous if he's too quiet."

I watched as Rose backed out and drove away.

By some miracle, the rest of the afternoon went relatively smoothly.

Unfortunately, the following day dragged on way too slowly for my liking. While I was having lunch, I took a moment to text Rose.

 _Still on for tonight?_

 _Hell yeah._

 _Would you be interested in going to the Castle and have some fun?_

 _You don't have to do that_

 _Shush. Yes? Before dinner ok?_

 _Good for me if it's good for you_

 _Perfect_

 _Won't wear heels then ;)_

 _I missed not seeing you today._ Erasing that line, I tried to think of what else to say.

 _I won't either haha. Gotta get back to the grind_

 _Hehe See you later :]_

The landline on my desk rang, and I rushed over to answer it because only certain people had that number. I picked up the receiver but didn't say anything. After waiting a moment, I heard a voice speak.

"It's a good day…"

"For a white wedding," I replied.

"Pick up tonight."

 _No, not tonight!_ "Can I give it to one of my associates?"

"We'd prefer you, but it's only one. You have someone dependable?"

I would have to send either Edward or Jake. "Yes."

"You're not trying to cut out, are you?" the voice on the other end questioned me. "We would be most disappointed if that was the case."

"No, I have a date."

I heard a muffled grunt. "Good for you. Our mutual associate will be by with the information. As always, it's a pleasure doing business with you."

And then Vito's man hung up. We always kept things short and sweet with no actual hardcore information passing between us. He'd send a courier where, again, there would be no actual traceable information passed between us. It was also one of the few times I ever got to see my Uncle Carlisle, seeing that he was the courier.

I went and talked to Jake about being on call tonight with the flatbed. I knew most of the time he didn't mind being on call since he still got paid some even if he didn't go out. If he did get a call he'd usually take Angie with him, which I was fine with. Then I had to hunt down Edward. I found him doing an oil change on a Jeep Grand Cherokee.

"Hey, dickhead."

"Hey, bigger dickhead," he replied. "What do you want now?"

"Vito has a small job tonight, and I'm busy," I explained. "Can I trust you to do it?"

He stopped what he was doing and stared at me. "Busy? You? You have no life. What are you doing that you can't do a pick up?"

"I have plans. That's all you need to know."

"Oh, come on. Tell me and I'll do it."

I rolled my eyes. "I have a date."

His mouth fell open before idiocy flew out. "Holy shit, you bagged that Rose chick?"

"I'm not going to answer that." Once again, I wanted to throw a wrench at my brother's head. "Can you do the pick up or not?"

"If it means that you can finally go on a date, then fine, I'll do the pick up."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," I told him. "Carlisle is coming over with the info later on."

With that, I walked away before Edward tried to grill me for any other information regarding Rose. Once Carlisle showed up that afternoon, I called Edward into my office so the three of us could talk.

"Boys, it's good to see you as usual."

I hadn't seen or heard from him in two months. For someone who had raised us after our parents' death, he had become awfully distant in the last few years. "How's Aunt Esme?"

"She's doing well." He cleared his throat. "I'll send your regards."

That sounded so impersonal. "Send her my love instead," I instructed him.

He nodded and switched into business mode. "Vito needs a Camaro over in Highland."

"A Camaro? That's not his usual request." Vito usually preferred older cars.

"It's not for him. It's for his son," he explained. "Trust me, he's not happy about it. It's a rare model, and his son's heart is set on it, and you know how he is with his kids." Vito spoiled them rotten. It was appalling. Carlisle told us the location and other details, which I wrote down in a code that we had developed years ago.

Edward assured me that he'd get the job done.

"Text me when you're finished so I stop worrying."

"I'll be fine, man."

I hoped so, but I was still nervous. I had never sent Edward out on a job by himself before. I felt guilty and was worried something would go south.

"Can I take Bella to be my eyes and ears?"

"Are you serious?" She was such an airhead, I could see her causing trouble. "Is this the correct time for me to sit down with you to inform you that your girlfriend isn't the brightest?"

"Not only can she be my lookout, but the woman can drive like the two of us and she keeps her mouth shut, remember?"

"Fine, if you think she'd be helpful, then take her."

Edward could tell by my tone, and by the scowl that was probably on my face, that I wasn't in the mood to talk.

"We'll be fine," he said as he started to exit my office. "Text ya when we're done."

I had been on edge for the rest of the afternoon and hoped that I could calm down by the time I picked up Rose. Hurrying home, I showered and changed before heading out to pick her up. Taking the steps two at a time, I paused before knocking on the door to gain my composure.

Everything was going to be fine. Bella was an idiot, but Edward knew her better than I did. If he thought taking her would be helpful, then so be it. I just had to keep repeating that to myself.

I knocked on the door and heard Lisa's voice. "Emmett, Emmett is here! Rossssse!"

Not only did Rose now that I was there, so did any of her neighbors who were home. There was a commotion inside the apartment, with loud hushed voices, before the door knob wiggled and I heard Rose say, "Stay, Lisa. Stay!"

"I'm not a dog, damn it!"

"Don't ruin this for me!" Rose growled. Honestly, she sounded as if she had been possessed by a demon. I half wondered if she was going to levitate, spin her head around, and spit pea soup when she emerged.

"I hate it when you do your devil voice!"

I knocked again. "Lisa, let the lady go!"

There was a moment of whispers that were too low to hear before Rose cracked the door open and slipped out. Her hair was a little astray, and she blew a strand of it out of her face. "Sorry about that," she apologized. "Lisa wanted to hit on you one last time before we started to date. Well, that's what she said." Rose blushed. "I need to shut up."

I started laughing. "You've got Lisa, I've got Edward. The people around us keep our lives interesting, huh?"

"A little bit too much sometimes." Rose sighed. "Can we get away from here before she changes her mind and opens the door?"

Taking her hand, I led her down the stairs and to my car. Even though I was worrying about the job Edward was doing tonight, it was easier to talk to Rose this time. I took her to the Castle, which was a multi-entertainment venue. "Is there anything you'd like to do first?"

"I'd like to whip your ass in mini-golf."

I started laughing. "You think so, huh?"

"I know so," she said confidently and winked at me. "I'm a champ."

Rose didn't seem like a champ at first, but she did admit that the neon lights had thrown her off. "I've played my fair share of mini-golf, but never in the dark with glowing neon lights all around me," she admitted. "But I kind of like it."

We quickly caught up to the people ahead of us and were instructed to wait by an employee since the rest of the course was also full. I put my arm around Rose's shoulders as we waited, and she leaned into me. "I read they have an Escape Room now."

"Here? That doesn't seem to fit in with everything else."

I tried not to laugh. "I know, but that's the big thing now. They're just trying to capitalize on it before the fad is over."

We didn't attempt an Escape Room that night, but Rose did kick my ass at mini-golf, used me as a shield in laser tag, and nearly beat me at air hockey. Unfortunately, the go carts were closed because the track was outside and it had started to rain.

While we were in the arcade, my stomach grumbled. "Hey, are you hungry at all?"

"I didn't want to say anything because I'm having such a great time, but I'm kind of starving."

"I am, too!" I intentionally died in my game to end it. "We didn't even get to go rock climbing."

Rose ended her game and turned to me with a smile plastered upon her lips. "We'll just have to come back another day."

"I'm holding you to that. Come on, let's go." I took her hand and led her toward one of the exits. "It'll only take about fifteen minutes to get to El Bandido."

"Yeah!" Rose pumped her fist into the air, which made me laugh.

There wasn't a wait for a table at El Bandido, so we just had to wait for our food. We ordered drinks and had the fresh tortilla chips and salsa that were both made in-house. I felt my phone vibrate and grew nervous. "Excuse me, I have to check this."

 _all clear. no heat._

And then a picture of Edward and Bella standing in front of a yellow Camaro at the warehouse.

 _Good - deleting. Thanks & see you Monday_

I deleted the texts and accompanying picture and then turned my attention back to Rose. "Sorry about that. Believe it or not, it was business."

"Not a problem."

Rose's attention was drawn to something behind me and her eyes grew huge. She smiled and sat straight in her seat to see better. "Our food is coming."

"To think, that's how I usually look when food arrives."

The waiter put our food down in front of us, warned us that the plates were hot, and I ordered a pitcher of sangria. "I never thought I'd meet my match when it came to food."

"It's best not to come between me and food when I'm hungry." She dug into her chimichanga by cutting a piece off and then blowing on it before the fork made its way into her mouth. Closing her eyes and sighing, Rose smiled as she chewed. "Dang, that's good. I don't even want to know how many calories this is."

Grinning, I dug into my meal. I was glad that Rose liked to enjoy food in general. It was awfully boring going on a date with someone who always ordered salads. I knew that from some sad experience. We talked about our families and some traditions each of us followed. Rose told me about her job search. I told her about the last time I went to the movies alone so I could have some peace and quiet from work in the middle of an action-packed explosive adventure flick.

"That's like, an oxymoron, isn't it?" Rose giggled.

"Are you calling me a moron?"

"No." She took another sip from her margarita glass. "You're the furthest thing from a moron. You seem pretty smart."

"Not really book smart."

"Book smart is overrated."

The waiter brought over our dessert, and Rose grabbed his arm. I could tell that she was already tipsy, but I didn't know if she realized that I was in pretty much the same state. I wasn't going to be driving either of us home tonight. "Shots?"

"Oh, yes, Señorita, for the both of you?"

"Give this man a shot!" Obviously I didn't think about what I was going to say before it escaped me. "I meant, yes."

Rose started laughing again, and then she snorted while laughing, and that made her laugh more. "I am giving you a shot!"

I buried my head in my hands for a moment while the waiter scurried off and we dug into our desserts.

I didn't know what happened, or how it happened for that matter, but the waiter arrived with more shots. Soon enough, we had a small shot glass collection, stamped with the El Bandido logo, placed in front of us.

Rose glanced down at her shirt and then started giggling. "Watch what I can do!"

She looked around to see if anyone was paying any attention to us and then proceeded to stuff a shot glass into her cleavage. And then another.

"How many can you fit in there?"

Rose grabbed another one and pushed it between her cleavage and stared down at her chest. "That's it. Three. It'd be less if I was wearing a low-cut top."She went into another giggling fit. "I'm sorry, it's the alcohol."

"I can't drive," I admitted. "Even if I stopped drinking and started with water, there'd be no way I'd be sober to drink before they closed."

"Oh, shit, what we gonna do?" Rose cupped her face with both hands and placed her elbows on the table. "Can't speak well when I'm drunk, huh? What we gonna do, Cullen?"

I retrieved my phone and searched for a contact. I was so thankful for contact lists, because if I had to recall a phone number in my current state, I'd be walking home.

The phone rang twice before a familiar voice answered. "Cullen Auto Works twenty-four-hour towing. How may I help you?"

"Jacob!" I yelled into the phone, and then Rose yelled his name even though she was seated across from me.

"Boss?"

"It is I."

"You're drunk, aren't you?"

"You're two for two tonight, Jake!"

"He wins a prize!" Rose stated matter-of-factly. She grabbed a shot glass and shoved it toward me. "Here, put this in your pants and give it to Jake!"

"I'm not shoving a shot glass into my pants and giving it to Jake!" I whispered.

"I don't want a crotch shot glass, boss." He was probably shaking his head at us. I heard Angie in the background ask what was going on. "Where the hell are you?"

"El Bandido, _señor_."

"I'll be there in about fifteen," he said. "Stay inside, you lush."

He hung up, and I stared at my phone for a moment. "He's salty."

"No, that's the sangria." Rose picked up her glass and stared at it for a few seconds. "Wait, Marietta, no, that other drink that starts with an M…margarita, that's it! No salt here. You were right about Jake! He's just salty!"

Someone other than our waiter came over to us, and Rose appeared like she wanted to crawl under our table as she nervously eyed the remaining shot glasses. "Excuse me. May I call a taxi for you when you are ready?"

"No need, my good sir," I extended my hand to the man to shake his. "We've got a ride on the way."

He introduced himself as the manager and thanked us for being responsible.

After he left, Rose let out a breath and slapped her forehead. "I thought he caught me taking the shot glasses and I was going to get in trouble!"

I couldn't help but laugh at her comment and the relief that had spread over her face. "You're going to the slammer, honey."

As we waited for Jake to arrive, we finished off the pitcher of sangria, and Rose had sweet talked the waiter into giving us another set of shots. I really didn't need another one, but I had it anyway and asked for two glasses of water and the bill while we waited. As we chugged the water down, Jake showed up.

He stood by our table, shaking his head with Angie by his side. Rose stood, grabbed a shot glass from the table, and attempted to stuff it into Angie's shirt. I nearly fell off of my chair laughing so hard as Angie tried to swat Rose's hands away. "Don't you want to start your shot glass collection?" Rose moved quickly, and the object slipped down Angie's shirt. "Do you want another one?" Before Angie could answer, Rose wrapped her arms around Angie and sniffed. "Your hair smells good."

"What the hell is happening?" Angie gazed at Jake. "I have a shot glass in my shirt and a drunk woman sniffing my hair."

"I have three!" Rose whispered. "How many can you fit?"

"Um, Emmett…"

Jake barely ever called me by my name. "Jacob?"

"Can we get out of here?"

"Sure!" I got up too fast and grabbed on to Jake's shoulders for balance. "Whoa there, earth, stay even."

"You do realize that if it was Edward picking you up, he'd be messing with you so damn much, right?"

Letting go of Jake, I stood up straight and tested gravity. "Whew. Yes, I'm well aware. Why do you think I called you?"

"I have the flatbed."

"That too, buddy. That too."

I held on to one of Jake's shoulders as he led us out of the restaurant but not before I heard a rustling behind us and heard Angie exclaim, "Fine, I'll put another one in my shirt!"

Angie helped Rose out, and I was really glad they had shown up because the place was set up kind of randomly with dead end offshoots where you could easily get lost if you were drunk like we were. Once we were outside, we somehow made it up into the flatbed cab, but I couldn't remember how we managed it. With the four of us, we were very squished, but that just meant that I could put my arm around Rose to give us more room.

"Rose lives in Winding Hills," I informed Jake. "So head there first."

"Got it, boss."

A few minutes later, as we drove along one of the main drags in town, I spotted what I called a parking lot carnival. They popped up usually throughout the summer during the weekends. "Jake! Pull in! They have bumper cars! We couldn't drive the go carts earlier at the Castle."

"What? Are you insane?"

"Nooooo!" I insisted. "Come on, you're getting paid and you're with your lady. Take us to the bumper cars!"

"Bumper cars, Jake. Bummmmppppper cars!" Rose started chanting. "You two can join us!"

Jake sighed and reluctantly pulled into the parking lot along the side of the bumper car setup. I opened the door and yelled out to the man nearby. "Yo, you still open?"

"We were closing for the night." he responded.

I scowled and asked him how much he usually charged and for how long. I offered to pay him double, and he happily accepted. Making my way out of the flatbed, I missed the step and slid down the side of the vehicle. "Rose, be careful so you don't hurt yourself." I stood close to the truck as she stepped down and then, without enough room, slid down the step and into me. It was an awkwardly intimate moment in front of my employee, his girlfriend, and a bumper car ride attendant. One that I wished I could replicate one day without an audience.

Looking back at that moment, I was surprised that I would drive bumper cars while I was inebriated. My parents had died because of a drunk driver. It didn't bother me at the time, but it bothered me afterward. I did take solace in the fact that I knew enough not to drive an actual car on the road.

We had fun though, but Rose and I were both horrible drivers in the state we were in. I couldn't seem to drive in a straight line, and Rose took forever to get out of a corner. Jake and Angie continued to laugh and take every opportunity to run into us. When our time was up, we sadly exited our cars and got back into the cab to leave.

"Okay, that was actually fun," Angie said. "Rose, I think my boobs are sticky from the shot glasses."

Everyone erupted into laughter. "Sticky Boobs. That's your nickname now!" Rose mumbled. "Oh, Jake, stop at Dunkin' and get us both a bottle of water, huh?"

I was out of cash, so I asked Jake to pay for the water and anything he or Angie wanted. He told me to remember to pay him well for tonight. While they ran into Dunkin', Rose and I stayed safe in the cab.

Rose sighed. "I haven't drunk this much in so long."

"Me neither."

"I had fun tonight though."

"Me too." I turned and placed a kiss on her the side of forehead.

Rose turned and looked up at me. "That's not where I wanted you to kiss me."

As I was staring into her eyes and moving closer to her, the driver's-side door opened. "I have no luck."

Rose quickly leaned toward me and met her lips with mine for a mere second. "To tide us over for now."

"Hey, hey, no, no, none of that in here." Jake exclaimed as Angie handed us water bottles, and then he put on his seat belt. "No hanky panky in the truck."

"Whatcha get, Sticky Boobs?"

I laughed at Rose's question toward Angie and didn't pay attention to whether or not she received an answer. Jake drove us to Rose's first, and when we got there, I was surprised at what Rose asked from me.

"To save Jake some time, why don't you just sleep over?"

The alcohol was slowly leaving my system, but I still wasn't sure that I had heard her correctly. "Excuse me?"

"You can cram yourself on the couch," she said. "Don't get any ideas. It's our first date. I'm no ho."

I shrugged and agreed and then told Jake to drop off my car. We waited while he unloaded it and was about to hand me my keys but pulled his hand away. "You are _not_ driving, right?"

"Hell no," I told him. "I'm not stupid, kid. If anything changes, I'll call a taxi."

"Please tell me my number isn't listed under taxi on your cell."

"No, it's not."

"Call me again, and you're paying me triple."

"Deal."

Jake gave me my keys, and Rose and I made our way up to her apartment. I didn't know how we made it up all those steps in our state. Maybe that's why I had a scraped knee the next day. We struggled to get inside, and then I remembered sitting on the couch. We talked, but the subject matter was fuzzy. I was sure that we kissed, but sadly, I couldn't remember any details. Early in the morning, I crammed myself on the couch and fell deeply asleep with, I imagined, a tipsy smile on my face.

* * *

 **A/N:** Part of this chapter is based on true events. There is a place called "The Castle" a few towns over from me, but I haven't been to it. I think there is golf and bumper cars there. There is a Mexican restaurant in my town called El Bandido that I've been to and it is how I described it (weird dead end off shoots, brightly colored paintings, a mariachi band, fresh chips and salsa, a free shot of Liquor 4-something...44 maybe). Once I went with a friend, who owns an auto shop. I had picked her up from the shop and we ordered half a pitcher of sangria and then started getting free shots. No lie, we probably got 5 free ones each. I stuck a shot glass in my bra and I have since obtained a second one in the same manner. I have a CDL license and knew that I wasn't going to be able to drive, so she called the guy that was on call with the tow truck. The next day one of my neighbors asked me, "Is your car ok? I saw you come home in a flatbed." I was like, "Oh, it's fine, I was out with a friend and we drank too much and she owns a flatbed."


End file.
